We’ve always believed that exercise and socialization are essential parts of a healthy and happy dog’s lifestyle, but for many years others were not so sure. We opened Pet Camp in 1997 and included dog group play as part of the overnight stay experience; while we thought we were right, our industry group (called the American Boarding Kennel Association back then) went berserk and almost didn’t let us become members. Well, we’re glad to say that not only has our own industry changed, but today’s pet parents now regard these activities not as a luxury but as essential parts of preventative healthcare for dogs.
According to the September issue of DVM360 magazine, a 2015 review of more than 2 million blog, social media posts, and online forums conducted by Banfield (hmm, wonder if they include the Pet Camp blog in this review?) indicated that, while veterinarians regard such things as vaccines and parasite control as preventative medicine, actual pet parents (like yourself) think preventative care means diet, exercise, care, play and emotional well-being — and they included both doggie daycare and overnight care providers as essential to ensuring their pets’ well-being.
Of course, while we think that vaccines and parasite control are essential and encourage pet parents to continue to include those as part of their preventative healthcare for dogs, we are very pleased to know that pet parents now include Pet Camp in the list of healthcare providers essential for maintaining a healthy and happy dog. Lastly, while this review found that pet parents are comfortable waiting 16.9 months between veterinary visits, we are also very thankful that we get to see most of our campers way more often! We’d miss them too much otherwise!
So what do you think? As a pet parent, do you put such things as exercise, care, and play on the list of essentials for a happy and healthy dog?
Thanks for reading!